Nell Gwyn – A Seventeenth Century Celebrity
Eleanor Gwyn, known as Nell, was a celebrity back in the mid-17th century when the term hadn’t even been invented. One of the first professional actresses in England, she forged a path for others to follow and inspired a new generation of women to take to the stage.
Prior to 1660, all female parts in plays had been acted by men but King Charles II issued a warrant that stipulated that women should play female roles. This was a huge change in the culture of the English theatre although there were already professional actresses in other European countries. Being in such a trailblazing role was sure to draw attention. The theatre was a hugely popular form of public entertainment and Nell Gwyn took full advantage of that to make a name for herself. “Pretty, witty Nell,” as Samuel Pepys called her in his diaries, was seen as a Cinderella character and was a star to the London audiences. Her shows were sold out, and she was cheered to the rafters. So, who was Nell Gwyn and how did she rise from rags to riches and become such a celebrity?
No one is sure where Nell was born but she grew up on the streets of London where her mother helped to run a brothel and she and her sister Rose served drinks to the customers. Both of them became “orange girls” selling sweet Seville oranges to the theatre audiences. Neither of them had any education and Nell could neither read nor write, so she memorised her lines through repetition and practise. Her beauty, her quick mind, her dancing and her comic timing were all great gifts but she had something else, something which most celebrities possess: charisma. It was this as well as her looks which attracted and held the attention of King Charles II. Although he had a number of relationships with actresses, Nell was the only one who held is interest for the rest of his life and who forged such a close friendship with him.
Even after she left the stage and had two sons with the King, Nell retained the affection and admiration of the London populace who saw her as someone who proved it was possible to rise from poverty to great riches and success. She was a fascinating character to write about in The Other Gwyn Girl!
Pick up Nicola Cornick’s brand new historical timeslip novel The Other Gwyn Girl here: https://mybook.to/gwyngirlsocial
